Having worked or studied hard, a middle-aged mother and her teenage daughter treat themselves to a stay in a holiday resort / wellness spa. Upon arrival both of them are much taken with this little slice of heaven. However, the daughter starts to suspect that all is not as it should be. Meanwhile the mother falls under the spell of the leader of the community, who is a most handsome and charismatic man...
As a thriller "Zephyr Springs" leaves something to be desired, mainly because of shortcomings in the plot. Not all of the developments make sense, in a psychological way. For instance, the mother - supposed to be an exemplary parent - is strangely unmoved by the news that her daughter found herself imprisoned in a hot sauna. Most mothers would react more forcibly to the idea that their only offspring was almost broiled to death. Moreover, it's strange that this same mother character falls so quickly under the spell of the local guru. This would sound more credible if, say, she had been groomed on the internet for weeks beforehand.
While we're at it, I'd like to point out that both the methods and motivations of the villain are muddled. This may result from the man having watched "The Ipcress File" a few times too many.
So "Zephyr Springs" isn't much of a thriller. However, it works better as a satirical condemnation of New Age guru-dom. There's a lot about the wellness spa that's instantly recognizable : the trite motivational slogans, the pseudo-profound pensées, the haphazard mix of Eastern and Western philosophies, the dumbed-down Freudianism, the deliberately maintained confusion between health, entertainment and self-indulgence, and so on. Also recognizable is the hands-on approach by spiritual teachers and yoga instructors anxious to help their female followers. A certain type of male has discovered, with a great deal of enthusiasm, that disciplines like yoga, meditation or massage make for a prime opportunity to touch female flesh. All you need as a modern sex pest is a few scented candles, a flask of body oil and an ability to speak like a living fortune cookie - and then it's up up and away.
One wonders about the direction our civilization is taking.
